Klarobelia megalocarpa
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klarobelia_megalocarpa
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Klarobelia megalocarpa faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching across its limited range in Madagascar's eastern rainforests. Slash-and-burn agriculture has fragmented its habitat into isolated patches, while selective logging targets the mature trees this species depends on for support. Climate change compounds these pressures by altering rainfall patterns essential for this epiphytic plant's water absorption through specialized aerial roots.
Habitat
This epiphytic species inhabits the canopy of primary and secondary rainforests in eastern Madagascar, typically growing on large trees at elevations between 800-1,400 meters. It requires high humidity environments with consistent moisture from both rainfall and fog, thriving in the transition zones between montane and lowland forest ecosystems.